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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28684785">Choices</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalaith_Quetzalli/pseuds/Lalaith_Quetzalli'>Lalaith_Quetzalli</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>White Collar (TV 2009)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Feels, Multi, OT3, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Season/Series 02, Season/Series 03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:54:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28684785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalaith_Quetzalli/pseuds/Lalaith_Quetzalli</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Inside Neal there are two sides: the conman, with his desire for beauty, riches and the next thrill; and the man: with the dreams for a family, a home, love… Always in his life Neal has chosen to be the conman, never the man, it's been a good life, an easy life. And then Peter and Elizabeth enter the picture, showing him that even the unlikeliest dreams are possible. In the end, will Neal choose to be a con or a man? </p><p>Or in other words, what if after seeing the treasure in that warehouse at the end of S2 Neal made a different choice?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elizabeth Burke &amp; Peter Burke &amp; Neal Caffrey, Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke, Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey, Neal Caffrey &amp; Diana Berrigan &amp; Clinton Jones, Neal Caffrey &amp; Mozzie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Choices</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Big shout-out to cheride for being an awesome reader, hope you like this fic my dear!</p><p>When I was watching White Collar, there were two particular moments in the series that stood out to me. I call them in my mind 'the beginning of the end' and 'the end of the beginning'. The latter I use to refer to Neal taking of at the end of S3, when he and Mozzie went to Cape Verde. Nothing was the same after that. Even though it was Peter himself who told him to leave, and that Neal chose to return, they never fully recovered the connection there existed before. The former I use for the treasure arc. That arc... every single day I kept waiting for Neal to talk to Peter, to tell him about it, and every day he didn't I just knew it wasn't going to end well, and I was right. It was the beginning of the end of the bond between Neal and Peter and even with El, I don't think they ever recovered from all of that. </p><p>I've read a good few fics that deal with Neal revealing the truth about the treasure at different points during that first half of S3. Some simple One-Shots that never really go into the consequences, others much more elaborate ones, I decided to try my hand at one of those and it just kept getting longer... I like how it turned out. Hope you do as well!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    
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</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Choices</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <em>By: Lalaith Quetzalli</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Inside Neal there are two sides: the conman, with his desire for beauty, riches and the next thrill; and the man: with the dreams for a family, a home, love… Always in his life Neal has chosen to be the conman, never the man, it's been a good life, an easy life. And then Peter and Elizabeth enter the picture, showing him that even the unlikeliest dreams are possible. In the end, will Neal choose to be a con or a man?</em>
</p><hr/><p>"<em>Choice means giving up something you want,</em></p><p>
  <em>for something you want more."</em>
</p><p>~ Dan Millman ~</p><p>"<em>Then prove it. Prove it"</em></p><p>The words are still echoing inside Neal's head as he walks, practically stalks, through the darkening streets of Manhattan. When Peter said those things, when he had the gall to accuse him of stealing the treasure from under the FBI's (his) and Adler's noses, and then set the explosion to cover his tracks… he was livid, so much he made an abrupt choice to ignore the car and just walk. A part of him was probably hoping the walk might help calm him down. It hasn't.</p><p>He isn't even sure why he's so angry. Or… maybe it's not so much that he doesn't know, rather that he doesn't want to. Why is it so important? Why does he care so much? What does it matter if Peter still sees him as a conman? Why does he feel this strong desire, this need, for Peter to trust him?!</p><p>He's so lost inside his own head he doesn't really notice when his phone starts ringing, not even when he answers it, voice sharp and snappish; it's until he hears a reply, until he recognizes the voice on the other end of the line that he reacts:</p><p>"Sweetheart, is everything alright?"</p><p>"El…?" He stops walking entirely, not quite believing it.</p><p>Sweetheart, that's what she calls him. Just like she calls Peter honey…</p><p>It started in the aftermath of Kate's death. When she held him tight, running her fingers through his hair, crooning at him '<em>Oh sweetheart…</em>' over and over again, in a most soothing tone. She never said anything else. Didn't ask him how he was, didn't tell him everything would be alright, because he knew he wasn't and that it wouldn't be; but she still did his best to sooth him to just… be there for him. Neal would be forever grateful to her for that.</p><p>"Neal, what's wrong?" She asks immediately, completely. "Are you…? Is Peter…?"</p><p>"Peter's fine, not hurt." He assures her with an exhalation.</p><p>"And you?" She presses, because of course she noticed he didn't answer that.</p><p>"Peter still doesn't trust me!" Neal snaps.</p><p>And, excuse me, what? He so wasn't planning to say that. Yes, it's in his mind, it's the most prevalent thought, along with the echo of the words he said to Peter, the challenge for the Agent to prove that Neal did what he most definitely didn't. Still, he never planned on saying that to El. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time. Blurting something out is far from the worst thing he's done regarding Elizabeth. No, the worst will perhaps forever be having fallen in love with her… Though, is that better or worse than being in love with Peter?</p><p>Neal has done a lot of insane things in his life: robbing the Louvre, jumping off the Rialto bridge and onto a water-taxi, and throwing himself our of a third floor window to escape the irate husband of the woman he'd just followed to her bedroom with the intention of bedding, come to mind. And yet even all of that put together seems like nothing compared to him being in love with the FBI Agent who holds his leash, on whom his freedom depends… and his wife!</p><p>Yet again it's El's voice that derails his line of thought entirely, her words:</p><p>"I know it must be hard Neal, but what reason have you given him to trust you?"</p><p>He opens his mouth, then snaps it close. Because isn't that just it…? Had El said something about him giving or not a reason for Peter not to trust him, Neal would have fought her on it (because he's conveniently forgotten about the whole 'Music Box debacle' or if not forgotten it, he at least chooses not to remember it). But that's not it at all, is it? It's not about whether or not he's given Peter a reason not to trust him. But has he given him a reason to do so?</p><p>"How am I supposed to do that Elizabeth?" He finally asks, because he's so, so tired.</p><p>"What happened Neal?" She asks in turn.</p><p>And he tells her. Nevermind that it's probably, technically, still an ongoing investigation, and he maybe shouldn't be sharing sensitive information about it. Neal seriously doubts that Peter's ever managed to keep much from his wife when she's determined to know the truth. And it's not like he needs that much in the way of persuasion in that moment… So he tells her, about the search, the warehouse, the explosion, Adler…</p><p>"He was going to give you half of the treasure?" Elizabeth sounds incredulous.</p><p>"So he claimed," Neal replies, his own disbelief quite clear, then he takes a deep breath and adds, for good measure. "I told him no, you believe me, right?"</p><p>"Oh sweetie…" He doesn't know if she can hear the urgency in his tone, the need for someone, anyone, to believe him, to trust him. "I know, I believe you."</p><p>So he tells her the rest of it. About the explosion, the trying to get inside but how it was already too late, Adler picking up a gun, threatening him with it, Peter arriving in the nick of time to save him, shooting Adler… Diana and Jones arriving, offering to take him home. And then the way Peter's whole attitude changed, like the flip of a switch, how he went from being worried to blaming Neal, not for the explosion, but of using it to cover his own theft of the treasure…</p><p>"I didn't steal that treasure Elizabeth, I swear to you, I didn't…" He tells her, with all the sincerity and intensity he can muster.</p><p>"Oh Neal…"</p><p>She doesn't tell him that she believes him, but that's okay, he didn't expect her to. It's not like she can know, she may want to believe him, but she cannot know, and he understands that. At least she's not accusing him, she's giving him the benefit of the doubt.</p><p>"Thanks El…" He murmurs, before hanging up.</p><p>He still has no idea what to do, but Elizabeth's words have served to put things into perspective somewhat. So with that in mind he makes a turn in the next corner and takes the more direct route straight to June's. It's just properly dark when he makes it to his apartment on the top floor. The door is locked, as he always leaves it, and yet his table isn't as empty as he left it when he left that morning. There's a key and a small white envelope on the table. And inside the envelope a small white card, the words in it typed, with a typewriter; it's an address and the words 'You'll thank me' in all caps and with no apostrophe. It's so strange, but Peter's never been able to resist a good mystery, so he pockets the key and leaves the apartment, heading straight for the address typed in the card.</p><p>It turns out that the address is of a containing unit in a warehouse just inside his radius. The key that was on top of the envelope allows him to let himself in, and what he finds inside… It takes almost a full minute for his mind to reboot and realize that he's truly seeing what he thinks he's seeing: the treasure, the one the Nazi's plundered and that used to be in a U-boat, the one that was supposedly lost when the warehouse Adler kept it in blew just a few hours earlier. The very same Peter accused him of stealing… or at the very least planning the theft of. It's one of the few times Neal can claim (and be completely sincere when doing so) that he's entirely innocent. Except, does it still count if he did not steal the treasure, didn't plan to, yet knows where it is?</p><p>For all of a handful of seconds he allows exhilaration to fill him. To own such a vast treasure… it's a dream come true! Except he doesn't own it, does he? Not really. He realizes, in that exact moment, that if he follows the plan beginning to take shape inside his head, if he takes steps to secure the treasure, to plan and then execute his escape. He will have fulfilled the greatest desire of any conman and thief… but what about his dreams as a man?</p><p>Neal's always been a dreamer, deep down. A dreamer and a romantic. He's always secretly wished for the simpler things: a house, a wife, children, a good job where he might be happy… he wants the romance, the purpose, he wants a home… There was a time when he believed he could have all of that with Kate. But even before her tragic death he knew it'd never be possible. It couldn't because when she found out that he lied about the cache, her first (and only) thought about it was that he'd lied to her about the location of it, not that he might have lied about the cache existing at all.</p><p>There are no caches, no secret locations full of 'lost' (stolen) art, artifacts and jewels, there never have been. Neal loves beautiful things (especially art), loves getting to touch the pieces that truly interest him, getting to know all about them, to replicate them; he also gets a thrill out of doing the things others believe cannot be done, getting into places some believe to be impossible to breach, going against all odds and coming out the victor… It's why he does what he does. But he also believes that beautiful things exist to be admired, not to be kept under lock and key in a dark, dusty closet; so he never keeps the things he steals. Even the money, all he'd left after going to prison went to buying 'The Greatest Cake'.</p><p>Still, regardless of the way his relationship with Kate might have begun, with him using her to get to her boss, with her using him to stave off boredom… he honestly came to love her, very much. So much he believes that in the end he might have loved the Kate in his head more than the real her. He did so many crazy things for her, and he won't regret them, because in the end it was doing all those things that put him in Peter's path (or him in Neal's, whichever). He'll forever regret that Kate died the way she did, that he couldn't save her, but he's long known that their relationship was doomed, and while he might not have admitted it, not even to himself, when it first happened, truth is he was never going to go with her. He might have gone to meet her in that airport, he might have even made it to the plane, had Peter not been there to stop him, but he'd have never left New York, never left Peter.</p><p>And that's just it. Because as he stands there, staring at the insane treasure all around him without really seeing it, he knows without a hint of a doubt that he's standing on the edge of a knife. He has to make a choice.</p><p>"<em>You can either be a con or a man, you can't be both."</em></p><p>Peter told him that, it wasn't even that long ago, during that case involving Ford (and Neal cannot help but think of Byron, of the choice he made, June instead of any more heists) but it's until this very moment that Neal truly stops and considers the words. The con in him wants to forget about right or wrong, to relish in the treasure, in the future that's opening for him; but the man… the man whimpers at the thought of the future he'll lose if he takes that path…</p><p>In the end, the choice is made in an instant, his hand is on his phone before he's even able to fully process what he's doing, like he's consciously stopping himself from pondering on it, least the part of him that's all con make him regret the choice he's just made. Then the call connects, and just like that, it's too late to turn back:</p><p>"Peter…? Can you pull my tracking data?" He doesn't even give the other man a chance to reply. He knows the answer already. "Come to where I'm at right now… Oh, and bring Elizabeth… please, it's important."</p><p>He truly hopes that Elizabeth's presence will help, because he knows already Peter's not going to be happy with this turn of events. Neal can only hope that the FBI Agent will at the very least give him a chance to explain…</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"<em>There's nothing sadder than a conman conning himself."</em></p><p>Adler's words from just earlier that day (or was it the day before? He doesn't think it's midnight yet, but doesn't actually know) keep repeating themselves inside Neal, and the more they do the more he doubts himself. Because when he called Peter he told himself it was the right choice (the only choice he could make, unless he wanted to give up on Peter and Elizabeth for good and… he couldn't even make himself think about doing that). But as the minutes pass and he's left waiting for Peter and El to arrive he cannot help but overthink things, and the more he does the more he doubts himself. He's almost driven himself crazy with it all when a car finally stops just a few yards from him and the Burkes step out.</p><p>Elizabeth's the one driving. She says nothing when Peter remains on the passenger seat of the car for a few seconds after she turns the car off, just watching Neal, who's standing beside the entrance to one of the units, he's not wearing his hat, his jacket is left open, and his tie is loosened enough she can see he's undone the top button of his crisp white shirt. All in all the picture is so unlike the usual Neal that it makes Elizabeth do a double take. He just looks so tired, exhausted even, that she wants nothing more than to rush to him and hold him tight, but she can tell that whatever they're doing there, it's pivotal, and whatever's about to happen, Peter's going to need her, they both will.</p><p>Peter steps out of the car slowly, and Elizabeth follows suit. He says nothing to Neal, just heading for the door to the unit immediately.</p><p>"Just… just don't touch anything…" Neal murmurs, almost as an afterthought.</p><p>Elizabeth stares at him, she really wants to say something but has no idea what, so in the end she says nothing at all, just follows her husband. What they find inside that room… it's like nothing she ever imagined possible. Crates all around, jewels, and painting and sculptures and so much more, a collection the likes of which she never thought could exist…</p><p>Peter spins around and stalks back out of the room, his whole body vibrating, like he's about to explode, and Elizabeth rushes after him because she just knows that if his temper blows… if he loses control there will be no turning back, for any of them.</p><p>Yet, as it turns out, Peter doesn't blow up, he doesn't say a thing, just bursts out of the warehouse and then goes to stand in front of Neal. Neither of them say a word for what feels like forever, just standing there, in front of each other, Peter staring at Neal and Neal… at nothing at all. Elizabeth feels like she's the one about to snap, so nervous she is.</p><p>Neal's the one who finally breaks the standstill, as he pulls a white envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket, offering it to Peter, who takes it without a word.</p><p>"This was on my table when I got to June's less than two hours ago." Neal explains quietly, still not looking at Peter. He offers the key next. "Along with this."</p><p>"Two hours?" Peter's arching a brow, even if Neal cannot see it.</p><p>"I spent a long time walking, after I left the harbor," Neal replies with a shrug. "Walked from June's place here too. Didn't actually know what the card was about, didn't want to risk it taking a cab or something…"</p><p>Not an unwise choice to make, all things told.</p><p>"Neal…" Peter starts, in a tone even Elizabeth cannot quite decipher, and yet there must be something in it that finally makes Neal react.</p><p>"Peter," He breathes out, head snapping up, and there's something that could almost be called desperation in his eyes. "I swear to you, I swear, I did not steal the treasure, I do not know who did. I did not know what was in there until I stepped into the unit and I don't know who left either the card or the key." He pauses, then adds, more quietly. "I swear I'm not lying to you…"</p><p>Elizabeth says nothing at all, just stares at her husband, waiting, for his word, for his choice, the one that will either make or break them… it seems to take forever, with the three of them just standing there, in the middle of the night, outside a warehouse, staring at each other, until finally Peter speaks up:</p><p>"I believe you."</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"<em>Peter is the best thing that ever happened to you and you're smart enough to know that."</em></p><p>Elizabeth said that to Neal once, when he believed Peter to be the one to be holding Kate hostage, after seeing the FBI pin and believing it to be his. They set him right. She was right, of course, or, as it turns out, half right. Truth is both of them are the very best thing that ever happened to him, and Neal really does know that.</p><p>The week following the 'discovery' of the Nazi plunder is more than a little insane. At Peter's insistence the official version of things is that Neal 'got a tip' regarding the warehouse and its contents, decided to check it out, then called Peter to let him know. Peter informed the FBI of it just after midnight (as it turned out it hadn't been quite midnight when Peter and El arrived). By dawn several FBI teams are already working on opening the crates, registering the contents, cataloging and preparing the items for transport.</p><p>Of course, when Russia learns about it, things get even more complicated in some ways, easier in others. On the good side, they insist on Neal being awarded a 'financial compensation', which he is actually allowed to accept; on the bad side… between the FBI and the Russians the media make such a big deal of things that by the end there's no way anyone in 'their world' doesn't know Neal Caffrey's working with the Feds. There's no way he can ever go back to being a conman after that. Which, all things told, is not entirely a bad thing, one more reason to stay on the right side of the law; no, the problem's that Neal isn't an idiot, he knows he's made enemies, on both sides of the law, and the media has made sure that they'll all know exactly where to find him. It's just a matter of time…</p><p>Still, despite his worries, the world keeps spinning, and they still had work to do. The very first case, while the treasure is still being handled, involves Neal reviving one of his old aliases, of a smuggler. It nearly goes pear-shaped when Jones is found, and in order to save his life Neal's forced to improvise. It nearly gets the both of them killed, but they manage it with some help from Diana, Peter and the rest of the FBI.</p><p>The night following the resolution of that case is the first time he actually sleeps at June's place since the night they found the treasure. In the past week he's only been by to pick up clothes, and once to check the former-closet-turned-art-studio, which he found to be empty. It was almost enough to give him a heart-attack, and he's so very grateful that El and Peter were with him when he made that particular discovery, on the one hand because he's sure that the shock he failed to keep from his expression worked better than any promise of him having no idea… and on the other because seeing that empty studio pointed a huge spotlight in a very specific direction regarding who 'recovered' the treasure, and the fact that they used his works… It's not the paintings themselves, they were all reproductions he did mostly as stress relief. But things could have so easily been misconstrued, if anyone other than Peter had found that piece of half-burnt painting, if they'd thought to study it, if they'd traced it back to Neal… they could have become 'proof' that he was behind the theft, even if he wasn't. And with his record…</p><p>The worst part is that less than handful of people could have done it, could have gotten to his paintings, and he can only think of one that could have gotten to the treasure…</p><p>"Why did you do it Moz? Why did you use my paintings?"</p><p>He's not even surprised to find Mozzie in the apartment when he arrives that night. He can only wonder how many times he's been by, and how they've managed to miss each other the few times Neal dropped by; also it's until that moment that he realizes he hasn't actually seen Mozzie, at all, in over a week (such a thing was unheard of since he got out of prison). El totally refused to let him sleep alone when she knew he was deeply affected by it all (and according to her, both she and Peter slept better when he was right there with them too). It took a lot for him to convince them that he was well enough and could go back to June's; truth is, as much as he would have liked to be with them, it had been too many nights in a row already, and with the treasure already in the hands of the Russians and the current case over they didn't actually have an excuse for him to spend the night. The last thing they needed was for the FBI to start paying too close attention to where he spends his nights exactly.</p><p>"You gave our treasure to the Suits?!" Mozzie practically shrieks.</p><p>It's clear that he's either not heard Neal's question, or has chosen to ignore him completely. It just goes downhill from there. It's soon made obvious that Mozzie has no intention of answering his question, that he isn't even listening, instead insisting on going into a tirade about Alphabet Soup Agencies, the soulless men and women that work for them, the Suits, brainwashing, and who-knows what the hell else! He also goes into how the treasure was supposed to be their white whale and something about a little island they were supposed to retire to. And Neal is left with the realization that Mozzie doesn't know him, never has. Because Mozzie is a conman through and through. That's truly all there is to him, and he's happy that way. He has no interest in doing, in being anything else. A big heist, something like the treasure, was truly his greatest dream. And he clearly believes Neal to be the same, believes he should be the same. Somehow, despite Kate, despite all the times Neal talked about settling down with her, Mozzie never took him seriously (and granted, it eventually became clear that that would have never happened, though that was on Kate, not on Neal, she took too much to the 'con life', more than even Neal himself ever did). And as much as Neal might feel bad about it, about leaving Mozzie empty-handed, Neal knows he wouldn't go back, wouldn't do anything differently.</p><p>It all comes to an abrupt end when Neal can handle it no longer and is left screaming:</p><p>"I Chose Them!"</p><p>Mozzie breaks off his tirade instantly, left staring at Neal with eyes that look almost too big for his head. For a moment there's such hurt in his expression that Neal feels as if he's been dealt a blow, though that hurt soon vanishes and fury takes its place.</p><p>"Over me?!" He demands, though there's more shock and disbelief than actual anger in his voice as he says it. "You'd choose a Suit over me?"</p><p>"No, I'd choose Peter and El over you…" Neal replies, so very quietly.</p><p>"Oh Neal… don't tell me you've managed to con yourself…"</p><p>"This is not about conning myself Moz, this isn't about conning at all. It's about choices."</p><p>"That's what you're trying to convince yourself of…"</p><p>"I love them Moz!" Neal cuts his off. "I love them, and they love me…"</p><p>"You think they love you! Love is a lie Neal, it's the oldest con in the book…" He looks at Neal with so much pity, it rankles.</p><p>"Byron could do it, he could leave it all behind, for June." Neal really wishes he'd understand.</p><p>"And you really think you can leave it all behind? The beauty of the art, the money, the luxuries, the thrill of it all?"</p><p>"I already have."</p><p>"Oh Neal… you keep lying to yourself. You'll come to regret it."</p><p>"Is that a threat?" Neal's eyes narrowed.</p><p>"No, it's…" Mozzie breaks off, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter." He picks up his things and heads towards the door, not even turning to look at Neal as he walks past him, he's almost at the door when he says, barely turning over his shoulder: "Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said: 'The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lies comes to a point where he cannot distinguish the truth within or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others'." He exhales. "I don't know you anymore Neal."</p><p>"You never did." Neal whispers quietly, so very quietly.</p><p>He doesn't turn around, doesn't want to see his old friend, his very best friend, walking away. Still, when he's trying to look at something else, anything, he ends up seeing his reflection on the glass doors leading to the patio, just long enough to see Mozzie nod. Then he closes his eyes.</p><p>"I'll see myself out, we won't be meeting again." Mozzie says.</p><p>Neal says nothing, though truth is, he was already expecting that.</p><p>Mozzie doesn't wish him luck, or anything of the like, and truth is Neal doesn't know if he'd have believed him, if he had.</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"…<em>what's best for everyone, Peter. You get to go back to your life, I get to have one of my own."</em></p><p>Neal said that to Peter once, the day he was supposed to get on that plane with Kate; the day that, if things had been any different, if Peter hadn't been there, Neal would have died…</p><p>A life of his own, that's what Neal's always wanted: the house, the family, it's always been his dream. Mozzie never got that, he thought it was about Kate but truth is that Neal tried to make Kate into the star of those fantasies (tried and failed) but the fantasies were already there long before he met her. There was even a time when he thought it was all just that, a fantasy, an impossibility… and then he met the Burkes.</p><p>Neal honestly has no idea when he went from wanting to have what Peter and Elizabeth had (with Kate, of course) to wanting to be part of what they had, what they were together… He loves the two of them so much, and he's not sure how it happened, or when, it's like he was halfway there before he knew he'd begun (and they must really be making him crazy, if he's beginning to sound like Jane Austen of all people! Even if only to himself). It came in parts, this falling in love with the two of them. With Peter it's been going on for much longer, since Neal first heard that the man was in charge of his case; since they first came face to face when he gave him that green lolly… and the more that time passed, the more that Peter kept moving, kept up with Neal, Neal just kept wanting… he didn't even know what it was he wanted (or rather, he didn't want to know, not back then) all he knew was he wanted more. Elizabeth… at first she was just Peter's wife (his extremely gorgeous, well-educated and incredible wife, and Neal couldn't imagine what Peter Burke had done to land a woman like her!).</p><p>And then… then he spent four years in jail, and made the deal with the FBI, and of course he began pushing the limits, testing the boundaries, just because he could (because that's who Neal's always been, even before he was a con). And Elizabeth… she could have closed her door on his face, could have treated him like scum, like what so many people saw him as: a criminal. But instead she opened her house to him, opened her family to him, became his friend… She gave him what no one since he first turned eighteen had, something he didn't even know he missed until he had it again: the chance to be Neal, just Neal.</p><p>There are a few moments he'll never forget, the moments when he knew that whatever was going on between him and Peter, him and Elizabeth… between all three of them, whatever it might be it went far beyond FBI Agent, FBI Agent's wife and a CI… Strongest in his mind right then is the time when he was falsely accused of stealing a necklace, when he ran, but rather than executing one of his many escape plans, of leaving New York (and he could have, could have gone so fast they'd have never caught him), instead he went to Elizabeth. And she helped him! She got him past the FBI Agents watching her house and hid him there! And then Peter said nothing about it. They chose him. Despite his record, regardless of the risks, they chose him… So how could he do anything other than choose them in turn?</p><p>He tried to deny it for the longest time, held onto Kate and the 'dream' as hard as he could. Kept telling himself that it was impossible, an impossible dream… What Peter and El had already was perfect, so what would they want him for? He'd only ruin them. So he held onto the idea of Kate, told himself that he could still have 'the dream' with her (even though Kate never wanted 'the dream'). And then the moment came, the moment to leave it all behind, and he made his preparations, his goodbyes… to all but Peter. Except Peter was no fool, of course he realized what was going on, and of course he found Neal (he always does).</p><p>Peter saved his life that day, and in the days that followed, both he and El did, in more ways than any of them will ever know. It wasn't only that Peter kept Neal from the plane, kept him alive, and in the following days he and Elizabeth managed to keep him sane… it was when he knew, for sure that he'd have never left, not for good. Even if leaving in that moment and later on coming back would have meant getting in trouble with the FBI, he'd still have done it. Because being in any way connected to them would have been better than never seeing them again at all.</p><p>Things came to a head during a case involving corporate espionage where Peter went undercover, solved the case, and then was unlucky enough to end up in the middle of things when the lover of the man who's death they were investigating (along with the espionage) tried to kill their criminal, using against him the very poison he'd used on her lover. Never before had Neal felt such desperation, such absolute terror, as he did while he ran to reach Peter, or when he heard the paramedic talk about cardiac arrest… It was the stick that broke the camel's back.</p><p>Neal didn't even realize it when he followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. Of course they didn't let him in, he wasn't family or anything. It was Elizabeth who found him eventually and, to his great surprise, she pulled him with her into Peter's room, warning the nurse that he was to be added to the list of people allowed inside. Peter looked briefly surprised to see him, and then he smiled… and Neal's self-control didn't just break, it shattered.</p><p>It was probably a good thing the three of them were the only people inside the room (and that unlike the room where Mozzie would end up after being shot, weeks later, that one didn't have a wall made almost entirely of glass), because they'd have never been able to explain to anyone why a man who wasn't the patient's spouse abruptly rushed to his side, bent down and kissed him like the world was ending.</p><p>It was also a very good thing that Elizabeth was so understanding, so accepting (truly, a jewel of a woman and Neal would never be able to understand how not just Peter but himself as well, ever got so lucky), and that Peter didn't follow the surprise with anger, instead he kissed Neal back. That was… it was like the world tilted out of its axis, when Neal began to realize that there was no going back, that his life would never be the same again (though it still took the rest of him a while to catch up, and it was until he was standing in an unknown warehouse, surrounded by a treasure the Nazis once plundered, that he fully embraced the truth his heart had known for a while already: that he was El's and Peter's, as much as they were his, and he'd do anything, anything at all, to stay… even give up everything he'd ever known).</p><p>After that kiss and the realization that came with it, it was almost laughably easy to give up the McNally Solitaire when Keller demanded it in payment for Peter's life. He gave Mozzie a line about Kate, and candles, and the living being worth more than the memory of the dead. He didn't know about what was going on with the three of them. While Neal trusted him and wanted to tell him, their relationship was still so new and so incredibly fragile… also, Mozzie never approved of Kate, the last thing Neal needed was to hear what he thought about him, about them…</p><p>That was the first night he spent in Peter's and El's bed. It wasn't actually planned. He'd had every intention of taking a cab back to June's after he'd seen Peter safe and sound (he couldn't stop himself from hugging him tight, just for a moment, but by then most of those at the office had gotten used to how Neal was with Peter and didn't even bat an eye). He knew El would want to be with her husband, and didn't want to intrude… and then she called to Neal. She didn't even give him the chance to try and refuse, just announced how it was going to be and went ahead. It wasn't even about the sex; they'd had sex before, either at June's or at the Burkes', though they never stayed the night. Not until that night. They didn't even have sex that night, just went to sleep in each other's arms, Peter in the middle… it was perfect. Everything Neal always dreamed of, and all he never imagined he could ever have…</p><p>Then… well, then they dealt with the music box, and Adler showed up, the U-boat and things went absolutely insane. When Neal first talked about having one of his own he never imagined what that life would end up being, but he doesn't regret it, he never will.</p><p>It's not easy to be without Mozzie, but while Neal misses him, a part of him cannot help but think it's for the best. Mozzie would have never let him just quit, would have never believed that he could do it at all. And Neal needs to put it all behind him, for Peter and El, but most of all, for himself. It's the choice he's made, and he'll hold onto it.</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"<em>There are more important things in life than a nice view. Like having people in your life you care about. I don't wanna imagine the man I'd be without those people. I like the man I am."</em></p><p>The case with the black widow, Selena Thomas, is almost enough to drive him up the wall, and El's not much better, he knows. Even when he tries to distract her with a little date of their own when Peter's doing his undercover work, Peter and Selena end up at his place, which forces Neal and El to hide in the closet… it's not their best moment.</p><p>He's not actually surprised that Selena would pick Peter; and she did pick Peter, beyond any part Neal might have given him to play. Neither is Elizabeth for that matter. They know Peter, know how charming, how gallant how good he can be when he allows himself to be… Most people look at Peter and only see the off-the-rack suits and stiff posture, they don't realize the incredibly charming, gentlemanly, and honestly gorgeous man that hides underneath (and as far as El and Neal are concerned, all the better! They're willing to share with each other, but that's only 'cause they've come to love each other as much as they love Peter, there's no space for another in their relationship!).</p><p>Thankfully that particular case doesn't last very long, and despite everything Neal manages to stay relatively close for most of it. When Peter makes the split decision to have all the things Selena ordered for their supposed wedding sent to June's place to arrange for a surprise wedding Neal cannot help but think that it's yet another show of why Peter is so special, why El and he love him so much. He ruthlessly squashes the part of him that wishes he could be part of that; reminds himself that the moment is about Peter and El, and he'll be happy for them. It works pretty well until Peter and El both turn to face him directly and say, at the same time:</p><p>"Will you marry us Neal?"</p><p>Neal's heart skips a beat but he forces himself to focus, they don't mean what he thinks…</p><p>"You do know I'm not ordained, right?" He points out with a little laugh. "I mean, I suppose it's not quite as important, since you're already married and all that. But still…"</p><p>"That's not what we meant." Peter shakes his head.</p><p>"We're not talking about you performing a wedding ceremony for us," There's a certain intensity in El's eyes as she speaks to him, it spears Neal in place. "We want you to be a part of it."</p><p>Except for where they apparently do mean what he first thought they meant…</p><p>"We want you to marry us Neal, to be married to us." Peter clarifies. "And yeah, we know it won't be legal, it cannot. But still. It'll matter to us."</p><p>"I…" Neal has no words (which he's coming to realize is not exactly a new thing where Peter and El are concerned, but still, his reputation!).</p><p>"If it's not what you want sweetie, you don't need to think…" Elizabeth hesitates.</p><p>Neal can see the exact moment when doubt clouds El's joy, and he cannot have that.</p><p>"Yes!" He blurts out, then takes a deep breath and says more clearly. "There's nothing I'd want more in this life than to be married to you. Not art, not jewels, not money, nothing in this world. I love you, with everything I am…"</p><p>"We love you too sweetheart…" El throws herself into his arms, hugging him tight.</p><p>Peter says nothing, but he doesn't need to, Neal can see it in his eyes, and then he embraces both of them, placing very tender kisses on their hair, and Neal's never felt more loved…</p><p>June's the one that marries them, she apparently got ordained at one point over thirty years earlier (Neal has a feeling some plan of Byron's was involved) and it's still legal, for all that a plural marriage like theirs isn't. Even then Neal cannot help but think that everything's wonderful… and then Peter and Elizabeth manage to surprise him, again, this time with a ring…</p><p>"I…" It takes everything Neal has not to babble, or worse, cry, when being presented with the simple but very beautiful wedding band.</p><p>"We know you cannot actually wear it, well not in the usual manner." El shrugs slightly. "But we still want you to have it. We want you to know that you're a part of this marriage Neal. There's three people in this relationship now."</p><p>"You're a part of us now Neal," Peter reaffirms. "This, the three of us together, it's not a fad, and it's not temporary. We want you with us, forever."</p><p>"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health…" El recites, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.</p><p>"Till death do us part." Peter adds for good measure.</p><p>"And forever afterwards." Neal cannot help but add.</p><p>"And forever afterwards." El and Peter agree after a few seconds.</p><p>Neal extends a slightly shaking hand towards him, barely managing to keep still as El and Peter together slip the ring onto the right finger; and even though he knows it won't be staying there, that the next morning he'll have to take it off and slip it onto a chain to wear around his neck, he still cannot help but love it, for everything it implies, everything it symbolizes. And he finally lets the tears fall.</p><p>"I declare you married for life… and beyond." June's voice brings them all back to reality, a reality that's so much better than any possible fantasy. "You may kiss."</p><p>And even though the kiss might taste of tears, it doesn't matter, because they're tears of happiness. In that moment everything's absolutely perfect.</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"<em>You do what's right, let the pieces fall where they fall."</em></p><p>Peter told him that, the day he almost died poisoned (the day Neal lost control and kissed Peter for the very first time). It's something he's been trying very hard to do since, like some kind of rule he wants to live his life by, if only because it's important to Peter. He really tries, to do what's right, even if it might not be his first instinct sometimes. Though on the latter half, he also tries to make sure that wherever the pieces might fall, they won't hurt those he loves. He's willing to take anything, anything but that.</p><p>It's during one of the afternoons he spends on his own at the apartment, while El is at one of her events and Peter's… he's not actually sure what Peter's doing other than it involves higher-ups and he (Neal) wasn't invited; it's then that Neal gets truly thinking about things that might fall, and where they might fall exactly. He thinks about past mistakes, about wrongs that still need to be righted. Like he already told Peter, he doesn't have caches, not of anything. All the money he had went into the bakery, and while he knows that some people suspected he might try and use the business for laundering money that was never the plan, not really. Truth is… he's not quite sure why he bought it at first, other than it seemed like a good idea at the time, he liked the place, the owner didn't have the money to keep it running and… yeah. In any case, he's not about to give up the bakery. Of his old aliases, most have burned, though no one has any proof to charge him with anything other than what they already know. He already did the time for the forgery, he has immunity for what he did as Nick, as Gary, and most of the others aren't actually relevant in the US. In the end there's only really one wrong left that he can still make right. Or two… depends on how one looks at it.</p><p>So in the morning he calls Peter.</p><p>"I need your help." He says, completely serious, not even a hint of humor.</p><p>"Sounds ominous," Peter quips, seemingly unable to help himself.</p><p>"It is," Neal admits with a sigh. "Look, I need to go somewhere, somewhere outside my radius."</p><p>"And you want me to authorize you going?" Peter guesses.</p><p>"I need you to authorize the removal of the anklet, just for a while," Neal corrects. "A couple of hours, three at most."</p><p>"Neal…"</p><p>"I swear I'm not running!"</p><p>"I… that's not what I'm thinking. God Neal! I know you wouldn't do that. Not to me, and to El. I trust you."</p><p>"But…"</p><p>"But it'll be hard to get this done without getting unwanted attention. You know we need to be careful about how things look…"</p><p>"I know, I just… Remember how you said 'Do the right thing'?"</p><p>"I remember."</p><p>"I'm trying to do the right thing here."</p><p>"If it's right, why do you need me to remove the anklet entirely. Approving you leaving your radius is much easier and the marshals hardly notice…"</p><p>"Perhaps, but 'hardly' isn't a lack of notice, and what's more, while I wear the anklet there's a record of where I've gone…"</p><p>"And that's what you don't want. Neal… who are you going to see?"</p><p>"Someone who's not a criminal, but who needs to remain out of the notice of those who might wish her harm. Someone who I hold dear, even though I haven't seen her since before I went to prison… someone I need to go see now." The silence extends and then Neal thinks of something else. "If you told them you're coming with me, would that make it better?"</p><p>"I can probably make it work…"</p><p>Neal knows Peter's still wondering what it's all about, but he also must have noticed how careful Neal's being of everything he says, he'll respect that.</p><p>"Great. Oh… if Elizabeth's free, can you ask her to come too?"</p><p>It's important to Neal. Also, inviting Elizabeth will let Peter know that what they're doing isn't dangerous (he'd never invite Elizabeth along if it were), and a bit more on the personal side.</p><p>"I'll arrange it then, probably for Saturday."</p><p>"Great! Thanks Peter."</p><p>They're still a week from Saturday but that's okay, in the meantime they manage to solve several cold cases, and one new one, so it's a good week all in all.</p><p>Jones takes off the anklet on Friday night, registering everything and then putting it away. He says nothing about it, though the glances he throws at Peter and at Neal… it makes Neal wonder if the agent might know more than he's ever said. And he won't say it, Neal realizes just a moment later. If he truly knows what's going on, or suspects even just a part of it, he will keep it to himself, because he respects Peter, and Neal, and he won't do anything that might put them at risk. Also, maybe, just maybe, he understands why the secrecy is necessary.</p><p>They have no sex on Friday night, instead they spend hours curled together in bed, Neal talking quietly, about the boy who'd one day become Neal Caffrey, he tells them both about Danny Brooks, and more importantly, about Neal Bennett, his father the cop, his mom the housewife, and the life that crumbled all around them when James Bennett went dirty…</p><p>Peter reacts with anger, not towards Neal (though that is something that just a few months before he'd have had trouble understanding, might not have believed it at all), but towards all the people who should have helped him, who should have been there…</p><p>"Don't pity me…" Neal hisses hoarsely.</p><p>"Oh sweetheart…" El murmurs, pressing to his back and cradling him against her body. "It's not pity to wish that you hadn't had to suffer so much…"</p><p>"It wasn't all so bad," Neal murmurs, even as he shifts a bit and presses his cheek to her chest. "It brought me here, to you, didn't it?"</p><p>"That it did," El agrees, carding her fingers through his messy hair.</p><p>"And it really wasn't all bad." Neal tries to reassure her. "Ellen is absolutely wonderful."</p><p>"She's the one we're meeting tomorrow?" Peter deduces.</p><p>"Yeah," Neal nods. "I haven't seen her in so long… and the last time was only very briefly. I… I asked her to keep something for me…"</p><p>Peter doesn't ask him what it is, he knows it's probably better if he just doesn't know.</p><p>So the next morning the three of them go to Roosevelt Island, where Neal introduces his spouses to the woman who's more of a mother to him than his actual birth mother. He uses those exact words too, making Peter splutter, El giggle even as she blushes, while Ellen just smiles bright and warm at him (she never says it, but Neal knows she approves of the two of them more than she ever did of Kate).</p><p>They leave Roosevelt Island hours later, with smiles, and Neal holding a drawing tube. Neither Peter nor El ever ask him what's in it, nor do they question where it ends up afterwards. Though when a couple of weeks later the news explode about a Raphael painting that's just been found in some abandoned warehouse in Seattle Peter just shakes his head and very evenly states he knows nothing about it when Hughes asks.</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"<em>If you were one step away from pulling the biggest score in your life, could you let it go?"</em></p><p>Peter asked Neal that once, it was mostly a hypothetical question, during the Lawrence case, the very first after the treasure was found and then lost and then found again. They weren't even talking about Neal at all, but about Lawrence and yet… and yet Neal sometimes can't help but think about it. Though one thing he cannot make his mind on: what counts as a score anymore? It isn't about any art, jewels or antiques he might 'acquire', he was honest when he said he was willing to give up all that, to give up a life of crime. Is it about Peter and El then? The three of them together… the dream. Yeah, that's perhaps the biggest score of his life. The question is, could he let it go? He likes to believe he could, if that's what's best for those he loves… he just hopes it'll never come to that.</p><p>Keller shows up on a Thursday, close to two months after the visit to Ellen. He manages to take them completely by surprise. It's not that they've forgotten he's out of jail. There's no way any of them could ever forget that, or how it happened (those terrible hours when Peter was held hostage by Keller's associate, when Elizabeth was made to stay at home, hoping for a miracle, while Neal pulled at any and every string he could think of to ensure that the man he loved most would survive…). They're even well aware that Keller's looking to take vengeance on them, and not just because he said so himself, but also because Alex warned Neal that Keller really was out for his head, and would stop at nothing until he hadn't just killed Neal, but destroyed him and everything he loved… Neal thanked her, paid her for her services (taking the Raphael to Seattle, leaving it somewhere that no one would be able to connect to either of them, and then ensure it'd be found by the right people) and wished her the best.</p><p>"<em>You know, you're not the same Neal Caffrey I used to know." She told him just before leaving. "It's almost jarring how much you've changed in such little time and…"</em></p><p>"<em>And…" Neal arched a brow, waiting for what she might say next.</em></p><p>"<em>And yet it suits you." Alex finishes with a small, almost wistful smile. "You look happy Neal. More than I've ever seen you before. Even during the times when you would pull the most insane stunts across Europe. You never looked this happy, this free… it'd seem that life on the other side of the road does suit you."</em></p><p>He is happy, and free, more than he ever imagined possible, especially considering the piece of plastic still around his ankle. Truth is, when the time finally came, he was actually going to miss it. Just a bit, but he would.</p><p>A lot has happened since then. The Raphael wasn't news for long, not when just a few days later a huge mess broke out, charges of corruption were brought to bear on all kinds of people, from low police officers, and office workers, all the way to a couple of Senators. Things had been a bit dicey when a man was killed by marshals while trying to break into the home of someone in WitSec (or so the rumors claimed). While the man was initially identified as Sam Phelps, later his DNA had shown he was in fact called James Bennett, a dirty cop. Blood tests immediately revealed his connection to Neal, and that was where things got a bit dicey, when several high ranking individuals turned to the parolee seeking answers Neal didn't actually have.</p><p>What Neal never expected was when the whole of the White Collar Division, and even a few others there in the NY FBI offices went to bat for him. Hughes was his fiercest defender, to no one's surprise except Neal's own. And when even Bancroft took his side there was nothing anyone else could do. In the end it wasn't like Neal knew anything really, Ellen had told him what James had done, but that was about it. He was pretty sure that she was connected to the whole thing blowing wide open so suddenly but never commented on it.</p><p>Hughes insists on both Neal and Peter taking a few days off when things finally settle down in the offices. Even tells them that he already talked to the marshals and approved Neal staying off the anklet for the rest of the week (it's about then that it hits Neal that Hughes knows… how much he has no idea, but he knows at least some, and the shock is so great all he can do is nod when Peter thanks Hughes and follows him out.</p><p>Peter spends most of their trip home laughing at Neal, at least until the younger man whines enough for the older one to admit that no, he wasn't aware that his boss knew about them, but considering Jones already knew, Diana most likely did as well, and they all agreed that Hughes was neither stupid nor blind…</p><p>"I don't understand…" Neal admits eventually.</p><p>"He knows something's going on, he might not even know the extent of it, but that's not what matters, not to him." Peter explains. "What matters to him is that it hasn't affected our job. We're still objective, still have the damn best closing rate in the country, our team has caught more criminals than any other in the East Coast, and I'm not talking only white collar criminals… so what does he care what either of us get up to out of the office?"</p><p>Eventually Neal just nods, he knows Peter's right.</p><p>Neal's finally managed to relax again by the time they make it home. Of course, that's when it all goes to hell.</p><p>The official version of events is that the red collar criminal Matthew Keller broke into the Burkes' place, taking Elizabeth Burke hostage at gunpoint. Then he waited until Agent Burke arrived. Was probably taken by surprise when Agent Burke's CI, Neal Caffrey arrived with him, prompting a shooting. One of their neighbors Ms. Andrews called the police but by the time they arrived it was all over. Agent Burke got a concussion caused by a blow to the head, his wife is thankfully unharmed, though Caffrey was victim of a bullet to the upper-chest and dies of complications in the early hours of the morning at the Presbyterian… The criminal, Matthew Keller, is reported dead, a bullet to the head from Agent Burke's service gun.</p><p>Reality though is a tad more complicated: It is true that Keller broke into the Burkes' home and took Elizabeth Burke hostage. But he wasn't surprised by Neal arriving with Peter, in fact, he was expecting it. The confrontation between the three men wasn't quite as simple as official reports would make it seem. With two of them fighting hard to keep each other, and the lady safe, while the other cared for nothing other than making the men hurt as much as possible. At some point Keller realized that the best way to do that was through Elizabeth Burke. Peter Burke tried to stop it and found himself pistol-whipped hard enough that he stumbled and crashed against a table, in such an angle he got a concussion. Keller tried to take advantage of that and turned his gun on Elizabeth Burke, only Neal was faster and the bullet hit him instead. In the end Keller did die from a bullet to the head, a bullet from Peter's service gun, only he wasn't the one to fire it: but Elizabeth. Jones arrived only seconds before the ambulance did, but by then it's all over.</p><p>Hours later, late enough for it to be considered early by some, a rather intense argument is taking place in what's technically a private room in the ICU. A room that happens to have two FBI Agents standing guard on the outside, while two others, the wife of one, and a CI discuss what's just happened, and what will be happening next. It all keeps going back and forth with no one managing to agree on anything until the actual patient in the room speaks up:</p><p>"Neal Caffrey needs to die." He states in a very no-nonsense tone.</p><p>"What…?!" That takes both the Agents by surprise.</p><p>"Sweetheart…" El murmurs, so affected in that moment she doesn't care who hears her use such endearments on a man who's supposed to be nothing more than her husband's CI, or what it might make them think of her, of him, of any of them.</p><p>"How long have you known?" Peter asks, the first to be on the same page as Neal.</p><p>"A while," Neal admits, bowing his head slightly in apology. "When I last talked to Alex, she warned me, about more than just M… Keller." He shakes his head. "In between Adler, the treasure, and all the other criminals we've sent to jail… it's become known in our world that Neal Caffrey has switched sides. I've known for a while that sooner or later I was going to have to disappear." He can see the tears in Elizabeth's eyes, and completely ignoring Hughes's presence he reaches for her one of her hands, holding it and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Only for a while. Only until it's safe, for me and for you, all of you." He exhales. "I was going to wait until I could do so legally. Then I'd allow Neal Caffrey to fall into obscurity. Come back with a new name, a new story."</p><p>"Should I be hearing any of this?" Hughes asks in a drawl.</p><p>"Since I was hoping you'd help me make the new identity legal…" Neal looks at him with his most innocent and eager expression.</p><p>"You make things so complicated kid…" Hughes shakes with head and sighs. "I was going to offer you a contract, you know? Full-time consultant for the FBI, a rank equivalent to an Agent, good payment, might have even been able to arrange to have your record sealed."</p><p>"Isn't it a bit early to have been making such plans? I still had two years to go." Neal's honestly flabbergasted that Hughes wants him to stay, nevermind the rest.</p><p>"You were getting a commutation hearing in a month." Hughes informs him. "It was just confirmed, I was planning on letting you and Peter know on Monday."</p><p>"Oh…" It takes several seconds for Neal to know what to say. "I'm… honored sir. But while I do hope to come back home… to New York… it'd be a very bad idea for me to return to the Bureau… at least officially."</p><p>Unofficially was another matter entirely, and they all knew it. Hughes stares at Neal for several seconds before finally nodding.</p><p>"I suppose I'll make the official announcement then." Hughes nods as he makes to leave the room. "CI Neal Caffrey died from complications following a GSW to the chest during a shoot-out with escaped convict Matthew Keller."</p><p>"Sir…?" Neal calls just before he steps out. "Thank you."</p><p>Hughes just nods, just once, and steps out, already telling Jones to get him the nurse and doctor in charge to make the arrangements.</p><p>By dawn the death certificate is signed and sealed. Peter, Jones and Diana execute a flawless performance in the hospital waiting room when the news are 'delivered' to ensure word gets out. Meanwhile a nurse gets Elizabeth and Neal out of the hospital through a staff door. The plan is for him to hide away in a safehouse with the Burkes for a week or two, until he recovers enough from the shot to his upper chest (which thankfully managed to miss any major organs, and while it cracked a rib and bruised a lung, no bones broke in the end, and his lung will heal, same as the punctured muscle and skin) to take a plane to Europe, where he'll be disappearing to for a while, perhaps as long as a year. Long enough for Neal Caffrey to pass into either legend or oblivion, hopefully. Officially Peter and Elizabeth are the only ones staying in the safe-house, as their own house is still considered a crime-scene.</p><p>The triad spend almost a whole ten days holed up in their little safe-house in Long Island. One set-up by their team, as Peter and Neal both trust them more than anyone, and because they, along with Hughes, are the only ones who know Neal's still alive. They in fact spend most of the time in the bedroom, not always having sex, sometimes they just either sit or lay down together and talk. It's as if knowing that soon Neal Caffrey will exist no more has freed him in some way, Neal tells his spouses a lot of things he never dared to before, stories about his time spent in Barcelona, Monaco, Marseilles, Paris, Venice, and so many other places. Not all are stories about heists (though some are), he also tells them about getting to see many different places, pieces of art.</p><p>Elizabeth is fascinated by all the stories, all the places Neal's been to, the things he's done, all the different parts he's played. Peter is both amazed and horrified at turns, and it's not even about the various criminal activities Neal is essentially confessing to, but the fact that Neal's been through so much, since he was barely off-age! A part of him cannot help but wonder how it is that Neal managed to survive long enough to even meet Peter… and then there's the surge of possessive satisfaction at the realization that this wondrous, incredible, worldly man is Theirs… That having seen and done so much, and having the choice to keep at it for the rest of his life, he's choosing to give it all up, for them… (And Peter has no doubt that he has, in fact, given it all up, that despite the fact that he has to leave soon, Neal will be coming back to them… regardless of whatever he might be calling himself by then).</p><p>Neal surprises his spouses when he pulls a professional photographic camera out of a box at some point and begins taking pictures of them, many, many pictures. It makes Peter feel self-conscious sometimes, while El smiles and bears with it, going as far as batting her eye-lashes and posing for him in several different ways. The most provocative picture ends up being one of her in the nude, her back to Neal, the only light that of a lamp on the bedside table, sheets pooled around her hips, long hair falling like a waterfall down her bare back; she's half turned to look over her shoulder, with Neal's hat on her head, tipped in such a way most of her face is left in shadows.</p><p>Neal also takes one picture of Peter, he's standing before the balcony doors, head tipped upwards, the balcony doors are opened and the translucent curtains frame his body, wearing sleeping pants slung low on his hips and a wife-beater tight enough to showcase his muscles, his body is illuminated in backlightning, the glow of the rising sun giving him a sort of halo, making him look almost otherworldly, more than human…</p><p>On Sunday morning the trio wake up pretty early, they have breakfast half in the nude in the little nook of the house's kitchen, then share one last shower that takes so long as to almost make Neal late. But they just cannot help but want one last round of lovemaking, something that might carry them through the months of separation… Then goodbyes are said and Neal walks out, to where Diana is waiting for him in a car to take him to the airport. He doesn't have a suitcase, just a carry-on with the few things he cannot bear to leave behind and a few changes of casual clothes. He's already said goodbye to June (Jones picked her up and brought her to the house for dinner on Friday evening). All arrangements have been made.</p><p>"Good luck Neal," Diana wishes him as she stops the car outside the airport.</p><p>"And to you Diana," He smiles and asks from outside the car. "Look after Peter for me?"</p><p>"You don't even have to ask." Diana assures him.</p><p>Neal smiles, nods at her and walks away. As he enters the airport he wonders what his lovers will say when they find the little gift he left them back at the house (in the second bedroom, which was technically supposed to be his bedroom; he knows they'll only find it when they're about to leave the house and go through every room making sure they aren't leaving anything behind, which was exactly his plan). There, on the bed that was never slept on he left them a painting, the only Caffrey original to ever exist. It has a mix of styles, the background all impressionism, broad strokes of color, effects of light, more an idea than anything tangible; and yet in almost stark realism there are three faces that seem to be almost emerging from that background. It's the three of them. Lacking enough detail that if most people were to see it (someone who didn't know them and weren't seeing them then), it'd seem to them like any three unremarkable people. But they'll know it's them, the three of them. And in the center of the canvas, small golden shapes, it looks almost like a chain made of just three links, or… or perhaps three rings interlocked. In the back of the canvas, three words in Neal's most careful calligraphy: 'Love You Forever".</p><p>
  <strong>xXx</strong>
</p><p>"<em>If you want a happy ending, it depends on where you stop the story."</em></p><p>Such words, the likes of which have been said time and time again, by an infinite number of individuals, in every variation the human mind can think of… and yet that doesn't make them any less true, as the man once known as Neal Caffrey well knows. The true question is, how do you know where to end the story to get the happiest ending possible? Because, if you try and end it at a moment when you're feeling happy, the happiest you've ever been before, who's to say you might not be happier the next day, or the next month, or the next year? And if you do it when you know a sadness or trouble are coming, afraid of what might come, how can you know that it won't be worth it? That the aftermath of whatever difficulties coming your way, won't make them worth it? That you won't find an even greater happiness on the other side of it? Truth is, you cannot know, no one can, in the end the best that can be done is to keep going through life, facing the good and the bad, and know that while the ending might yet come, and we cannot control it, how happy or not it might is on us.</p><p>Paris is a gorgeous city, there's no doubt about it. Filled with so many gorgeous people and even more gorgeous art everywhere. He only wishes he could enjoy it more. But it's hard to do so when he's so alone… Paris is considered by many the city of love, but the thought just serves to sadden him as he thinks of his own loves, left behind for their own safety, and his. Also, it's not like he's in Paris for a vacation. He's working, doing careful, delicate work, carefully building and crafting his new self. It's not an easy thing to do. This isn't a cover, a name for some con or undercover work, it's one that will have to last him for the rest of his life, it's who a part of him has always wanted to be, and now he finally has his chance… Has a chance at living the dream. He only wishes he weren't quite so lonely…</p><p>Everything changes in the blink of an eye one Tuesday. He's having a small lunch in his favorite cafe, a quaint little place several blocks from the small gallery he visits every afternoon, when a phone rings unexpectedly. It actually takes him a moment or two to realize it's his phone ringing, because it's a ringtone he hasn't heard in so long, but when his brain catches up he's fumbling with the pockets of his jacket until he extracts the phone and answers. The conversation is short and to the point and he ends up rushing out of the cafe, suit-jacket on one hand and briefcase in the other, hat forgotten on the table where he barely thought of leaving several bills (too much, probably) for his unfinished lunch before he ran out and began hailing a cab. He spends the whole ride making calls and barely makes it to the airport and to the boarding area right as a lady is closing the door.</p><p>"Please! S'il vous plait!" He calls in a broken mix of English and French. "I need to get on that plane miss, please!"</p><p>"Sir, I can't…" She starts.</p><p>"Please…" He insists, panting, his heart beating a mile a minute. "My… my wife… she's in labor. I… I need to get to New York!"</p><p>It's hard to tell if she believes him or not but in the end she does take pity on him and opens the door. She takes his ticket and after he mumbles something about having no luggage, as he hadn't even gone to the house to pack, she giggles a bit and waves him through.</p><p>"Have a pleasant trip Mr. Ellington, and congratulations on the baby!" She calls to him, even as he's already running down the tunnel to the plane.</p><p>He waits until the plane has reached the right altitude and is stable before turning his phone back on and making a call to his landlady. The woman sounds honestly surprised when hearing that he's already left Paris, but that surprise turns to delighted understanding when he tells her why he rushed to the airport and got on the first plane he could. She promises to supervise the packing of all his things and to arrange for them to be sent to New York, to the address he's given her. He thanks her profusely before they exchange goodbyes, though not before she extracts a promise that he'll send her pictures once the baby's born. She's loved hearing all his stories about the family waiting in New York for his return and is happy for him that the time's finally come, even if it's in such an unexpected way.</p><p>It's been eight and a half months since the conman, alleged art-thief and forger, as well as well-known CI Neal Caffrey officially died in a shoot-out against escaped convict Matthew Keller, who died that same night. Since the world of artists (and forgers and thieves) was shaken by the death of one of their own. Those who knew Neal could have sworn until then that he was almost immortal, had more lives than a cat, that he possessed the devil's luck and had the unique ability to always fall on his feet, no matter what. Many were those who believed that his death was just another con, that in a few weeks, or perhaps a couple of months there would be the news of some great heist or theft that would signal the 'resurrection' of Neal Caffrey. Only that never happened.</p><p>After six months without a sign the world was forced to accept that Neal Caffrey truly was dead. Many stories are told about him, by his old friends, his once colleagues, his rivals, impossible to tell how much is truth and how much embellishment, or even downright lie. A day will come when Neal Caffrey will be more legend than man…</p><p>Two weeks or so after the death of Neal Caffrey a new artist makes his arrival to Paris. His name is Francis Niall Ellington, better known in certain circles as Frank Ellington, the adopted son of June and Byron Ellington. Officially the man has spent the past decade or so traveling the world, taking pictures, he even has had a few published in a variety of small publications, mostly digital ones. Though it is upon his arrival to Paris that he tries to do more. It takes almost three months, but eventually a small gallery gives him a chance and they start showing his work. His style is a sort of photorealism where a photograph is reproduced completely freehand, using shading to replicate as much of the feel of the original pictures (most of which are in full color, rather than black and white) as possible. And then, what makes his work special: he adds a single color, to emphasize what he considers most important in the picture. Like the image of a half-wild garden, all black and white except for a single red rose in full bloom. A woman's face in extreme close-up, all black and white except for her eyes, which are a piercing blue. A piece of driftwood in some unknown beach, blue-green fire dancing upon it.</p><p>In a month Frank is considered as a rising star and the little gallery that gave him a chance starts getting a lot more visitors. It also allows some details of Frank's life to 'come out' (mostly as rumors): like the fact that he lost his dad when he was three, his mom never recovered, he was mostly raised by his godmother, the Ellington's adopted him in his late-teens and while he never got to know Byron well, he cares deeply for his adopted mother as well as his nieces, daughters of his adopted sister, who passed away years ago. There are also rumors that he's in a committed relationship, mostly due to the wedding band on his finger, though no one knows for sure if he has a wife, or a husband… the more scandalous rumors claim it's both!</p><p>Frank is still a bit off his game when he steps out of the JFK Airport a bit after five o'clock in the afternoon. It's been almost nine hours since he boarded the plane in Paris, and a bit more than that since his adopted mother called him to let him know that Elizabeth was in the hospital, in labor. Frank's still more than a bit in shock regarding that part… Thankfully there's a car waiting for him, June sent it, along with her driver. It makes him love her just a little more.</p><p>The trip to the Presbyterian seems to take forever, and Frank cannot help the feeling of irony he gets, that his child (or his spouses' child) is about to be born in the very hospital were the old him 'died'. Cindy is waiting for him when he arrives. Arrangements have already been made, and while a couple of nurses look at him oddly, none comment when he's lead to a place where he can wash up and then right into the birthing room. He pays no attention when Cindy takes his briefcase, jacket, vest and cuff-links from him while he rolls up his shirt-sleeves. His whole mind on what's on the other side of that door.</p><p>The next hour is more than a little insane, in ways that would be impossible to imagine by those who've never been in a birthing room, particularly during the birth of their own child. When it's all done Frank's at Elizabeth's side, watching the baby boy half-asleep in her arms, dazed, when he hears someone calling to him. It takes him several seconds to realize Peter's calling, and when he turns… Frank stares in shock as he sees Peter standing there, holding another baby, this one wrapped in a pink blanket. When the baby girl is placed in his arms he's absolutely entranced. His whole life (not just as Frank, but throughout all the different names and identities he's had) he never imagined being a father, yet in that moment he cannot imagine anything more perfect…</p><p>"El… Peter…" He croaks, voice heavy with feeling. "Your babies are so beautiful…"</p><p>"Ours…" Peter corrects immediately. "Our babies."</p><p>"Our babies." Frank agrees, tears shimmering in the edges of his eyes.</p><p>As it turns out, they truly are Their babies. The boy, whom they decide to name Neal Mitchel, is Peter's (biologically), while the girl: Ellen June is Frank's. It floors Frank. He knew from the moment that he found out Elizabeth was having a baby, that he'd love said baby, no matter if he wasn't the father, and to find out that there are actually two babies, and one is of his own blood… it doesn't make him love Ellen any more, or Mitch any less but still… it's more than he ever dreamed could be possible.</p><p>He's a bit annoyed with his spouses, because in eight and a half months they never said anything about El being pregnant. The same applies to June, as she knew as well, and knew well how to reach him. But they explain it to him. How they knew Frank needed to be in Europe to build his reputation, to ensure his new name would have a good foundation, enough that no one would ever doubt that he was truly Frank Ellington. He had the best papers, but it wasn't enough, there needed to be people who could say they knew Frank in the places where he was supposed to have been living in the last decade. He needed to ensure that no one would ever connect rising artist Frank Ellington to the 'tragically deceased' conman and alleged art-thief Neal Caffrey. Frank knows they're right (much as a part of him might hate it) so he lets it go without much fuss.</p><p>In two weeks it's almost like Frank never left. He's back in his favorite place, in between his spouses (where, whatever name the rest of the world might call him by, he'll always be Niall… Neal). And granted, it's not easy, caring for babies, especially when there's two of them, but he wouldn't give it up (late nights, insane crying, dirty diapers and all), for anything in the world. June totally loves being Nana June (claims Granny doesn't fit her), and Samantha gets really happy whenever they visit, she's very excited about her cousins.</p><p>As time passes, people get to know Frank Ellington, as June's adopted son, recently returned from Europe. As Peter and Elizabeth's partner. They never give any details, but don't do much to hide their relationship either; they're not ashamed of it, of each other. Their marriage might not be legal, exactly, but they still take it seriously. Frank wears his ring and all three of them work together to build a home and a family.</p><p>At El's and Peter's insistence, the twins carry both their last-names: being Burke-Ellingtons. It might not be the surname Frank had for most of his life, but it's still one he loves, and one more way to show how much he truly is a part of their beloved (unorthodox) family. He's papa, where Peter is daddy and El mommy. The twins grow up knowing that while their family might not be exactly traditional, it works for them. They love each other, trust and believe in each other, and in the end that's all that truly matters.</p><p>Frank Niall Ellington has a family, with two wonderful spouses, two incredible children, a great adopted mother, two adopted nieces, and so many friends (some who even know the truth about him!), a home in Brooklyn, a job he finds fulfilling, and love, so much love… He's living the dream, and life's absolutely perfect.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, what do you think? I finally got the chance to use Frank Ellington for this fic, I liked that. Also, the whole 'mother having fraternal twins from different fathers' is quite posible, I did my research. I originally wasn't going to make them twins, but I kept getting this image in mind, of Neal rushing to the plane... I had to do it. </p><p>I considered using the Pink Panthers to justify Neal 'dying' but while I do like that arc, it was much too complicated and I wasn't interested in the fic getting even longer on me. Keller on his own was easier and it's not like he didn't threaten Peter and Neal so... </p><p>Regarding Ellen and the evidence... I really don't like that whole mess, but I really thought it needed to be handled. Same as with the Raphael, so I tried to do it in a way that wouldn't complicate things further. Hope you like how it turned out. </p><p>The thing with Mozzie... I'm not trying to make him a bad guy. Honestly, I don't. I actually like Mozzie for the most part. He can be quite selfish, in my oppinion, but then again, I think we all have been selfish at some point, so that's not a huge deal. I do dislike what he did, the fact that he used Neal's paitings, there were so many ways he could have handled things, and that was never truly addressed in the series... and no, it wasn't addressed here entirely either, but there's actually a companion for this fic, called "Mozzie's Choice" which was actually going to be the main story originally (this one was going to be the companion, just explaining why Neal would choose El and Peter, but as I fell more and more in love with the OT3, this one became the main one). </p><p>Full-sized cover/poster can be found on DA, I go by Princess-Lalaith there. And for those who might be interested, the companion for this fic will be up next weekend! </p><p>See ya around!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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